Change in Space, Urban Culture and Ethnomathematics
The advances in Ethnomathematics are shown in the amazing amount of publications and in the rich programs of five International Conferences on Ethnomathematics. The ISGEm/International Study Group of Ethnomathematics was founded in 1985. Many books about
- PDF / 1,499,387 Bytes
- 13 Pages / 612 x 792 pts (letter) Page_size
- 83 Downloads / 209 Views
12. CHANGE IN SPACE, URBAN CULTURE AND ETHNOMATHEMATICS
ETHNOMATHEMATICS AND THE STATE OF THE WORLD
The advances in Ethnomathematics are shown in the amazing amount of publications and in the rich programs of five International Conferences on Ethnomathematics.1 The ISGEm/International Study Group of Ethnomathematics was founded in 1985. Many books about Ethnomathematics are produced, journals and sites are created and events all over the World are organized. Ethnomathematics is a rich research area. Its importance for Education in general is unquestionable. It is remarkably trans-disciplinarian and transcultural. It relies on research in various disciplines, particularly anthropology, ethnography, cultural studies, cognitive sciences, history and social dynamics. We are fascinated with the beauty and with the recognition and analyses of mathematical ideas present in professional and everyday practices, in folklore, in artisanship, in dressing tapestry and basketry, in games, music and dance, and even in cults of native, both in cultures situated in the periphery of the most developed centers, but also in the dominant cultures. This is fascinating. The books by Claudia Zaslavsky, Marcia and Robert Ascher, Paulus Gerdes and some others are classical references about the recognition and theoretical discussions of mathematical ideas present in artifacts from different cultures. The increasing interest in the mathematical study of cultural artifacts results in various dissertations, publications, journals and sites. There are many results of careful research that do not get published, that are not even known to most researchers. But I will not comment on the beautiful advances of Ethnomathematics. Instead, I will reflect on the way I see the relation of Ethnomathematics with society as a whole and with the State of the World. In an interview, conceded in 2010, the mathematician Gromov2 reflects on the State of the World. He presents a vision that is really disturbing. Coming from such a renowned scientist, it deserves our attention. Gromov (2010) says: Earth will run out of the basic resources, and we cannot predict what will happen after that. We will run out of water, air, soil, rare metals, not to mention oil. Everything will essentially come to an end within fifty years. What will happen after that? I am scared. It may be okay if we find solutions, but, if we don’t, then everything may come to an end very quickly! Mathematics may Z. Babaci-Wilhite (Ed.), Human Rights in Language and STEM Education, 207–219. © 2016 Sense Publishers. All rights reserved.
U. D´AMBROSIO
help to solve the problem, but if we are not successful, there will not be any mathematics left, I am afraid! Even more frightening than the exhaustion of resources tomorrow is the destruction we are witnessing every day. Again, in the same interview, Gromov (2010) says: Being inside our ivory tower, what can we say? We are inside this ivory tower, and we are very comfortable there. But we cannot really say much because we don’t see the world as well
Data Loading...
